Apple's iPhone may have proliferated in the consumer space but its popularity may have started to work against it, according to BlackBerry vendor, Research In Motion (RIM).

BlackBerry’s main competitors are the iPhone, Android and Windows Phone 7 handsets. It has traditionally been a brand associated with enterprise applications but has branched out to the consumer space.

iPhone has a large marketshare in the consumer smartphone space but its dominance may be waning, according to RIM.

“One thing we are hearing from our channel partners is iPhone is so mainstream in Australia that people are starting to look for something else,” RIM director, Michael Momsen, said. “We’re now starting to see people preferring to opt for something else other than the iPhone because they perhaps don’t want a phone that even their 62 year old dorky uncle uses.”

“It’s almost like an anti-trend and that is the feedback we are hearing.”

RIM has made a huge push into the consumer market to prove it has more to offer than just enterprise sensibilities. BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) has been a success story for RIM’s efforts to appeal to the consumer youth market and has already garnered over 32 million users worldwide.

According to Momsen, BlackBerry Messenger has helped RIM penetrate the teenage youth market in the UK.

While it has achieved success in consumer markets abroad, Momsen conceded BlackBerry has yet to be viewed as “hip and trendy” in Australia.

“From an Australian perspective, it is still pretty hard to go out there and say “Hey, we’re cool’,” Momsen said. “I think when you get attached to a brand perception, say, with Blackberry being more of an enterprise label, it sticks for a while.

The screen was particularly good. It is bright and visible from most angles, however heat is an issue, particularly around the Windows button on the front, and on the back where the battery housing is located.

My first impression after unboxing the Q702 is that it is a nice looking unit. Styling is somewhat minimalist but very effective. The tablet part, once detached, has a nice weight, and no buttons or switches are located in awkward or intrusive positions.

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